Saturday, 22 December 2012

Does it ever feel as though the kids are climbing the walls? Then let them colour them instead. We return to Mr printable and discover the best of busy day activities in this 22 page print out gigantic Christmas tree. If you look closely you can see there are busy roads and star tunnels, apple houses, snowflakes and lollipop trees.

I cannot imagine anything more perfect for keeping excited children busy.

Friday, 21 December 2012

Click here to get the printable of 6 A4 pages to complete your Rudolph, then using some red coloured card cut into little round nose shapes and some sticky tack on the back have fun blindfolding the kids and letting them try to get the nose in the right place.

Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Today we bring you something for the coming year. For planning, organising and dreaming of the days that will unfold in 2013. A free calendar for your wall to scribble and circle. The one above is from our new obsession lovevsdesign.com

And this one below is for Owl lovers, like myself - oh those tawny plumes and big eyes! Here you can design your own 2013 Calendar by selecting the owl design for each month. It's a wonderful collaboration of artists for a project by Shivani at My Owl Barn

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

It's that last flurry of 'Christmas is nearly here' excitement (headless chicken) and shopping (10 different lists). We are finding ways to make it easier this year and free printables are our saviour. Today, thanks to Kitty Genius, we have these Gift Tags for you with such wonderful illustrations.

Sunday, 16 December 2012

I'm not sure who'll love this more, children or grown ups but I am crazy for them. I quite fancy making these and filling with gifts for my husband as much as I do for my children. They're great for stocking filler treats as well as party favours and I have been printing and printing, folding and sticking since I found them.

There are two sizes to print those above; 4 dots (small) or, the larger 8 dots lego gift box.

Thank you cards are perhaps the most important activity post Christmas, we're usually quite good at getting them out simply because I've learnt that if its a fun thing to do the children will enjoy writing them as well sticking on the stamps.

These free printable thank you cards are sure to help inspire the children to say a big thank you. The hardest thing you'll have to do is to remember in the frenzy of Christmas morning who those beautiful gifts were from!

Alternatively have some fun making your own personailsed thank you cards with some guidance from Capturing Childhood here who'll show you how to make saying thank you fun as personal as saying it face to face. We've not done this before but I've bookmarked this page to have a go ourselves this year and knowing what some of the gifts are I know this will be an hilarious afternoon spent having fun and saying a big thank you to all our friends and family.

Thursday, 13 December 2012

Children love to watch things grow. Fascinated in the changes they have made happen when a seed they have planted grows it's first shoot, each day growing a little taller and slowly blossoming into something beautiful. This time of year is perfect for planting Hyacinth bulbs and when placed in Hyacinth vases like these here, you can watch their roots grow and the bulb open up to reveal first it's leaves until one day it's beautifully scented flower appears. As though by magic this flower grown from in inconspicuous brown nut like ball.

These beautifully illustrated notebook covers are perfect for creating books for the little budding gardener, the explorer, the blossoming botanist. They can fill the pages with notes and drawings of the discoveries around them.
You can create a little garden space for them, it needn't be big, even an egg carton with cress seeds is wonderful to watch grow.
I'm planning on taking these books on winter walks and as we walk the same path every day we can note down the changes we spy as Winter turns to Spring.

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

This set of bookplates by lavenders blue designs would make a great teachers gift for the end of term, a gift for a book lover, and of course children, who will love to label their most treasured books as their own.

The free printable contains 16 bookplates with 8 different designs, simply print, cut out and they're ready to be personalised and gifted.

Lavenders Blue is a beautiful blog written by Becca, a teacher and designer, she also blogs with her sister over at Meat Loves Salt where together they share delicious family recipes. Becca also has an Etsy shop as well as a small collection of invitations and thank you cards here

You'll discover lots of inspiration whether its for throwing a wonderful party, crafting or cooking and I'd recommend popping along for browse around.

Christmas is all about the family, the big feast, or rather the endless feasts, the smell of the Christmas tree, the silly games of charades, watching it's a wonderful life, the excitement of Christmas eve and Christmas day morning discovering that Father Christmas has been. There's whole host of things I have on my wishlist of gifts (hint for hubby: anything by Lucky Boy Sunday here, this, this, this, or this) but, the one thing I wish for most of all every year is to wake up Christmas morning and see a blanket of snow from the window.

I want to walk leaving footprints in the fresh crisp snow, feel the snow fall on my cheeks and catch snow flakes on my tongue, build a snowman, have a snowball fight and make snow angels until the cold forces me to retreat for hot chocolate....and then of course we'll be out again. Oh please please please let it snow for Christmas!

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

I love paper dolls and so do my children. They're beautiful even before they've been made and this is especially true of the vintage inspired ones by Alice Cantrell. Lucy Ann is all ready to be dressed with four outfits, two of which you can colour yourself.

Her etsy shop is full of wonderful delights to buy and I've got my eye on a few of her art prints already. As there are lots of printables to purchase and download you can even have them in time for last minute gifts too, great for stocking fillers and advent treats or those last minute birthday gifts.

Sunday, 9 December 2012

It's Sunday and it's the 9th day of advent, today we have some great free printable colouring pages via activity village.

When I'm looking for some themed colouring pages, dot to dots, numbers or alphabet colourng sheets the activity village is the first place I look. There are pictures designed for every age and here are some of my favourites we've been busy colouring in already.

Click on the images above to be taken directly to the printable or here for a whole host of more pictures to choose.

Why not print off several pages stick them together and create your very own festive colouring book.

Saturday, 8 December 2012

With the children seeming as though they could burst with all the excitement of Christmas and the overwhelming anticipation each day as the big day draws closer, I think a day spent lost in creativity would be a day well spent.

Named one of the Top 50 Design Blogs for Moms by Babble.com it's not just me who is smitten with her discoveries, crafts and inspiration but with countless of her followers, readers and admirers thinking the same way this is one place I know you'll want to come back to again and again.

Sometime's blogs are like windows into lives we wish we could find a door for, even just for a day, this one is certainly one of those for me. This is a site which for me shows all the reasons for loving and being grateful for creative people who have found an outlet through the modern day evolution of blogging and those who reach and inspire thousands of others daily by sharing with us.

Friday, 7 December 2012

Well in celebration of advent we've got a special gift for you. Behind the door today :
20% OFF the entire Rice DK collection

Just enter the code 'DOOR7' at checkout to receive your special advent gift of 20% OFF
The offer will run for 3 days and end midnight Sunday 9th December 2012
So spread the word and write your wishlist

To take advantage of all our great offers, free printables and surprise gifts be sure to come back each day or join us on facebook to make sure you don't miss out.

So far we've given you a free advent street printable, 20% OFF Christmas stockings and sacks, the best free gift tag printable we've ever seen and an extra 15% OFF the Hucklebones sale, free festive cards, calendars and more gift tag printables and a special introductory price on the new Birthday Surprise Tea Set by the wonderful Belle & Boo!

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

When do you choose your tree and bring it home? The children have been asking and asking and asking as to when we'll be getting ours. Previously we've (regrettably) chosen our tree and brought it home on the roof of the car all too early in the month and by Christmas day it's lost its glory and all too soon after, it's gone taking with it the feeling it brings to the house.

Each room has been given a little something that feels joyous, festive and fun. The excitement has been building and we've been having so many friends to play it almost feels like a winter wonderland!

Here's a few of our favourite alternative Christmas trees for a little festive inspiration. I love this one above especially as it could be so simple to make. I like the idea of one hanging above the kitchen table with little hanging edibles, like foiled chocolate father Christmas's or reindeer and little wrapped cookies with colourful ribbons.

This one is perhaps my favourite of all. I wonder if I can collect enough bits and pieces to make one in time.

Above and below pictures via pinterest with Christmas trees made with brown paper and cupcake cases. These are such simple ideas done really well. We've previously done versions of both as I love the idea of adding further 'Christmas Tree's' around the home, decorating the kitchen and bedrooms with simple ideas like these just make the festivities so much more fun. The cupcake cases tree below could go anywhere and for us its our big kitchen window.

Above and below images again via pinterest. I'm sure I've got a stack of lollipop sticks somewhere to have a go at the one above and I'm absolutely going to have a go at making a hanging fabric version like the one below. I love the idea that we can hang it each year and it's great for small spaces too. Perhaps in the girls bedroom where a nightlight will make it twinkle and sparkle as they fall asleep.

There's so much choice when it comes to trying out an alternative Christmas tree, from artificial ones in practically any colour you can imagine to MDF flat packed, wall stickers or even arranging your books on your bookshelves to create a triangular outline of green. Though I cannot imagine Christmas without the big traditional tree in all its glory with its wonderful smell, I really hate the waiting to decorate for fear of the tree not lasting the season. So these will quench my festive thirst.

So, whilst our living area will wait until we've done our wellied chilly hunt for the perfect big traditional tree the rest of the house receives our creative attention.

I've always wished I can could have a Christmas tree in every room and now with a little inspiration and creativity I can!

You know we're crazy about great design and we love to find people who's passion for what they do brightens our day with bursts of brilliance. love vs designis a wedding stationary design company based in LA. I've been swooning over their invitations, birth announcements and save the date cards and stationary and its the place I send every expecting friend and bride to be. But, you don't have to be expecting or about to be hitched to delight in their designs because lo and behold they have a truly impressive collection of free printables for everyone.

You'll discover gift tags, cards, envelopes, calenders, thank you cards and my favourite of all the owl library card. Print. Print. Print. Love. Love. Love love vs design. Thank you Jen and Floris we love love love love vs design. I do hope they start to design birthday invitations too, I'll be first in line to shop for those.